Concentrator



Patented Sept. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES ALBERT STEBBINS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CONCENTRATOR.

Application led July 13, 1922.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. STEBBDTS7 a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Concentrators, of which the following description7 in connection with the 'treatment of other materials, it is often desirable to separate the materials in accordance with their differences in specific gravity irrespective of the differences in the size of the particles being treated.

The present invention contemplates the separation of materials by imparting momentum to the particles, preferably by centrifugalforce, and by directing a blast of air against the traveling particles so that the lioht particles will be' detiected from their path of travel to a greater extent than the heavy particles. The velocity of the particles and the resulting momentum serves to accentuate the differences in specific gravity and thereby facilitatesthe separating operation.

An important feature of vthe present invention therefore resides in a combined distributor and centrifugal fan by which the materials to be treated are thrown outwardly and a blast of air is forced by the fan against the materials to deflect the lighter particles away from the heavier particles. n

Another feature of the invention resides in means for supporting in different positions of adjustment a wall which surrounds the combined distributor and fan and over which the lighter materials are deflected.

Other features of the invention and novel combination of parts inaddition to the above will be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illust-rate one good practical form thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a ooncentrator constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Serial No. 574,600.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the combined distributor and fan;

Fig. et is a perspective view of a portion of the inner casing; and f Fig. 5 is a side view of means for supporting the upper portion of the inner casing in different positions of adjustment.

The concentrator of the present invention has a casing 10 conveniently constructed of sheet metal, and the lower portion of the casing is provided with a cone shaped portion 11 while the upper portion of the casing is closed by a cover 12.

Within the casing 10 is rotatably supported the combined distributor and fan 13, and in the construction shown the same is secured to and is rotated by a shaft 14 extending downwardly through a sleeve 15 supported by the cover 12. The shaft 14C is hollow as shown for the passage of air downwardly to the fan and the shaft may be driven by a pulley 16.

The combined distributor and fan 13, in the construction shown, consists of three disks or plates 17 18 and 19, secured together in spaced relation. The upper plate 17 comprises the distributor and the second plate 18 serves to form an air chamber between it and the plate 17, and the plate 18 is constructed and arranged to form an annular slot 18a about the periphery of the distributor 17 through which a blast of air is directed against the materials as they travel outwardlyy from the distributor. Air enters the chamber between the plates 17 and 18 through the hollow shaft 14:, and ribs or vanes 2O are provided between these plates.v The construction of the combined plates 17 and 18 and the interposed vanes 2O is such that they form a centrifugal fan which serves upon rotation to throw the air outwardly from the chamber between the plates through the annular slot 18a. The outer ends of the vanes 2O preferably are inclined rearwardly as shown to assist in throwing or forcing the air within the chamber outwardly through the slot 18a. These vanes support the plates 17 and 18 in spaced relation and are secured in place by rivets 21.

In the construction shown the plate 19 serves to form a. second chamber having an annular slot 19a about the distributor 17 through which a blast of air is directed,

fur-ther to. subject the materials thrown Ioutwardly by the distributor to aI deflecting blast of air. It is not necessary, however, in all embodiments or' the invention to provide more than one annular slot for directing air against the-materials thrown outwardly by the distributor. The chamber between the plates 18 and 19 has vanes 22 therein which may be similar in construction and operation to the vanes 20. Air is drawn into the chamber between the plates 18 and 19 through the opening 23 at the center of the plate 19, and

'is forced outwardly through the slot19,

and the size ofthe opening 23 may be varied by providing a threaded stem 24 extending downwardly from the plate 18 and carrying a disk 25 that may be adjusted toward and from the opening.

The casing 10 has an annular wall 26 therein which surrounds the combined distributor and tan y13 and forms an inner and outer chamber within the casing 10. The materials to be treatedniay be delivered upon the distributor 1'? near the center thereof by a hopper 27 extending` downwardly through the cover 12.

In operation, rotation of the combined distributor and fan will throw the niaterials upon the distributor 17 outwardly by centrifugal force toward the wall 26, and the rotating vanes 2() and 22 will serve to throw the air within `the chambers outwardly through the annular slots 18a and 19ain the form or' blasts to detiect the li fhter materials from" their path otrtravel anc lover the wall 2t. The heavier particles that are not lifted by the blasts of air sulliciently to clear the wall 26 slide down the wall into the lower casing 28' and pass out oit' this casing through the pipe 29.y The lighter particles that pass over the top of the wall 26 move downwardly within the outer chamber and slide down the cone shaped wall 11 into a discharge pipe 30. f

t. may be desirable to vary the operation of the presentconcentrator by raising or lowering the wall 26,1elative to the distributor 17 and to this end, in the present case, the wall 26 is provided at its lower end with a cylindrical porti-on 31 that fits frietionally within the casing 28, and this wall ia conveniently supported in different positions of adjustment by providing the upper edge of the casing 28 with inclined surfaces 32 upon which blocks 33k secured to the sides of the cylinder portion 31 may rest, As a resultot this construction, rotation of -the wall 26 in one directionwill raise this wall and rotation in the'opposite direction will lower this wall,and the :frictional engagement of the portion 3l with the casing 28 may be suliicient to prevent accident-almovement.

Air may be Supplied to the opening 23 of the lower fan' by a pipe 34 extending u wardly within the inner chamber of the casing` 10, and a. sliding gate, 31" may serve to regulate the tlow ot air upwardly through this pipe. Most of the air thrown outwardly through the annular slots 18 and 19 will move outwardly into the outer chamber, and this air may escape therefrom through a pipe 36 leading trom the material discharge pipe 30. Air is prevented from escaping through the material discharge pipes 2S) and by causing these pipes to empty into closed receptacles 3,7 and 38.

In some cases it may be desirable to produce a blast of air through the annular slot 18 that is stronger than will be produced by the rotating vanes 20. ln thisI ease the. upper end ot the hollow shaft l-l may have a pipe 3S) connected thereto and the pipe 35i may lead from any desired souree olf air pressure.

.By providing a combined distributor and fan, as herein described, it is unnecessary to provide means external of the casing for compressing air and forcing it into the concentrator, and as a result, the present concentrator is simple in construction, is selfcontained and consists ol" but tew parts.

What is claimed is:

1. An air concentrator, comprising in combination, a combined rotary ('listril'iutor and centrifugal fan, consisting ot a distributing plate and a second plate sul'iported in close proximity to the distributing plaie to form a fan chamber therebetween and having a restricted annular discharge slot between the outer peripheral portions of the two plates, ribs between the plates forming fan blades, means for delivering materials to be treated to the distributor to be thrown outwardly thereby, a wall surrounding the distributor in spaced relation thereto, and means for rotating the combined distributor and fan to throw the materials outwardly and to torce currents of air produced by the t'an through said restricted discharge slotA in the form of a blast directed against the outwardly thrown materials to deflect the lighter materials .from the wall.

2. An air concentra-tor, comprising in combination, a rotary distributor having a disk adapted to throw outwardly materials delivered upon the upper face ot the disk, a wall surrounding the distributor in spaced relation thereto, fan vaines secured to the lower face of the disk to throw air outwardly, and means having a surface inclined to the path traveled by the materials thrown outwardly by the distributor and adapted to direct the air in an inclined direction toward the material to deflect the lighter niaterials from the wall.

3. An air concentrator, comprising in combination, a combined rotary distributor and centrifugal fan, including a disk adapted to throw outwardly materials delivered upon its upper face, a second disk spaced from the first to form an air chamber between the disks and the disks having their peripheral portions disposed to form. a restricted annular discharge slot, fan blades between the disks for forcing air outwardly through the restricted discharge slot in the form of a blast directed at an inclination againstA materials leaving the distributor to deflect the lighter materials to a greater eX- tent than the heavier materials, and a wall surrounding the distributor to divide the materials in accordance with the deliection thereof.

t. An air concentra-tor, comprising in combination, a combined rotary distributor and centrifugal tan, including a disk adapted to throw outwardly materials delivered upon its upper tace, a plate positioned in spaced relation to the disk to form an air chamber 'therebetween having a peripheral portion disposed to form a restricted annular discharge slot about the periphery of the disk, and fan vanes within the chamber for forcing air outwardly through the restricted slot in an 'inclined direction against m=aterials leaving the distributor to deflect the lighter materials to a greater extent than the heavier materials, and a wall surrounding the distributor to divide the materials in accordance with the degree they are deflected by the air.

An air concentrator comprising in combination, a combined rotary distributor and centrifugal fan, including a disk adapted to throw outwardly materials delivered upon its upper tace, two plates secured to the disk in spaced relation and forming air chambers having annular discharge slots about the periphery of the disk, and fan vanes in said chambers for throwing air outwardly against materials leaving the distributor to deflect the lighter materials to a greater extent than the heavier materials,

and a wall supported in spaced relation to the distributor to divide the materials in accordance with the degree they are deflected by the a'ir.

6. An air concentrator, comprising in combination, a combined rotary distributor and centrifugal fan, including a pair of spaced pilates having vanes between them forming fan blades and one plate constructed to form a distributor, said plates being constructed to form a restricted annular discharge slot surrounding the vanes and adapted to direct air against the materials leaving the distributor, means for ro tating the combined distributor and fan to throw the materials outwardly and to force air outwardly through the restricted slot against the materials to deflect-the lighter materials, and a wall positioned so that some of the materials will be deflected over it while others will not.

7. An air concentrator, comprising in combination, a combined rotary distributor and centrifugal fan, including a rotatable distributing plate upon which the materials are delivered, and a fan casing secured to the distributing plate to rotate therewith and having a peripheral portion disposed to form a restricted annular discharge slot at the periphery of the plate, :tan vanes within the space between the casing and plate for forcing air outwardly through the restricted slot against the materials thrown outwardly by the distributor to deflect the lighter materials, a wall positioned so that some oi' the materials will be defiected over it while others will not, and means for relatively adjusting the distributor and wall to vary the separation of the materials.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication.

ALBERT H. STEBBINS. 

